there's a story written on my heart (can you read the happy ending?)
by The Cinder Crown
Summary: Set after season 6. Belle wakes up from a nightmare and goes looking for her husband. She finds him in the basement. Working on something she hadn't expected. Rumbelle - what should/will have happened after the season finale. Sweet and fluffy one-shot. :: For Jenny


_... For Jenny via GGE... I hope you like it, love ... **  
**_

 **This was my first OUAT One-shot, I hope you all liked it! Tell me what you think :)**

 **i. Written for the '100 ways to say I love you' Challenge** || 26. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to.

 **Words:** 3,096

 **A.N.:** Dialogue from the storybook entry is taken from the series. Nope, not mine.

* * *

 **There's a story written on my heart (Can you read the happy ending?)**

* * *

Startled, Belle opened her bright blue eyes. Her heart was beating heavily in her chest, and still half asleep, she reached out to the other side of the bed and found… Nothing.

The side where her husband usually slept was empty, the purple satin sheets unused and neatly in place.

' _He hasn't gone to bed at all last night'_ Belle thought with a disappointed sigh.

Deep down, she had hoped that - despite his habit of waking up early - he would at least be with her tonight and greet her with his presence at least in the morning.

Glancing at the old clock at the opposite wall, she noticed that it was not yet the time he usually got up since it was still dark outside.

But that was not why she had woken up; it was the smallest of her issues at the moment.

The nightmares she recently endured were bad enough – she kept finding herself in the asylum cell that Regina had created in the very first curse – but the fact that they kept waking her in the middle of the night (with already little sleep) was downright irritating her.

The young beauty knew that it was ridiculous, that dreams couldn't harm her in any way (at least that's what Rumple had told her). Still, they felt so _real_.

Usually, she tried to ignore them as best as she could; trying to go back to sleep after waking up, handling it herself, like a strong and independent woman.

She sighed. Being strong wasn't always easy. On the contrary, the recent events that had been enfolding in Storybrooke taught her that it was indeed very likely that nightmares came back to haunt people - in one form or another.

Emma becoming the Dark One, Hook's stay in the Undeworld, Regina facing her Evil-Queen-self and –

Here, a cold, unpleasant shiver ran down the brunette's back. Even thinking about the Black Fairy frightened her. (And it wasn't because of the fact that she was her mother-in-law. No, she had heard stories about them in general and had always prepared herself even in her early childhood days to meet the mother of her future husband). No, it was the fact that she had this power over everyone… Such power that even scared her husband and the Savior.

Her heart once again shattered into a million pieces when the images of her son - her little Gideon - flooded her mind and she remembered the things this woman had done to him… The pain she caused him, mentally and physically…

Belle forcibly shook her head. She couldn't think about that now. The Black Fairy was gone now. Emma had seen to that. She couldn't let that woman win by being scared of someone who was already dead.

With a swift movement, the blue eyed woman pushed the covers aside and – with a determined look on her face – she made her way downstairs in search of her husband.

As her glance fell on a couple of pictures on the mantelpiece, she felt a little nostalgic. The photographs had been taken a couple of years ago; during the time after the first curse had been broken. Sometimes she missed those times; the happiness they once felt before all the darkness took it away.

But then Belle reminded herself that things had changed once again during the last couple of days.

They had talked. A lot. It was necessary and thinking about it now, they should have done it years ago. To be completely honest with each other, speak about their hopes and fears, sorting out all the misunderstandings that had slowly but steadily torn them apart.

Admittedly, it had taken her a lot longer than she would have guessed and an incredibly and unusual emotional speech from Rumple, but in the end Belle had finally understood the whole story behind the gauntlet from Camelot.

' _It shows a person's greatest weakness,' Rumple had explained the other day, 'for most of them it leads to the thing they love most.'_

As she made her way down the marble staircase that lead to the basement, she couldn't help but think how stupid she had been. ' _For most people'_ he had even said it, explained it back when she had asked him about the object in the first place, but her usually so sharp mind hadn't grasped the meaning of his words.

' _Rumple isn't like everyone else. He had told the truth. His greatest weakness was indeed his power,'_ Belle thought, and again she felt the tears welling up in her bright blue eyes, _'the gauntlet didn't lead him to me, because I'm his greatest strength. I always have been.'_

Pushing open the door to the basement she saw something she hadn't quite expected to see. Usually, her husband sat on his spinning wheel, brewing a nasty smelling potion or charming whatever object he needed to make yet another one of his deals. But not this time.

He just sat there, on this old and ancient chair of his, head bent over something she couldn't quite see.

Carefully, as not to disturb him, she crossed the room and laid her small, soft hand gently on his shoulder.

Startled, Rumple jerked around, his brown eyes wide until they fell upon his wife and relief filled within them. "Belle!"

The beauty gave him a small, apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"

"It's alright," he replied in his lovely accent, "I just didn't expect you to be down here, that's all."

In an attempt to clear some space on the table, he gathered some of the loose papers and pushed some of the books aside.

He knew her well enough by now to know that she always sat down on that particular spot on the table.

"I couldn't sleep," she said and avoided his glance. She didn't want to appear weak in front of him, but Rumple could – at least in these matters – read her like an open book.

Still sitting in front of her, he reached out and took her small hand in his. "Nightmares?"

Belle sighed. "Yes, I'm afraid your mother left quite an expression on me…"

This time it was his turn to sigh. The Black Fairy was a tense issue, and she usually wouldn't bother him with it, but Belle knew that pure and plain honesty was needed these days if they wanted to maintain the relationship they had rebuilt.

"Is there anything I can do?"

The brunette shook her head.

"No, I'm fine. Or, I will be," she quickly added upon seeing her husband's raised eyebrow.

A moment of silence fell over the pair. It wasn't an awkward one, no, quite pleasant to be honest. She hadn't got lost in his brown eyes for a long time, and just now she realized how much she had missed it.

"What are you doing down here?" she asked eventually, and her blue eyes scanned the desk.

Something flickered briefly in Rumple's chocolate brown eyes, though Belle couldn't quite place it.

She simply watched as he once again looked over his overloaded desk, rumbling through a couple of things before he retrieved an old book from somewhere underneath.

He placed it on her lap and Belle was utterly confused. The brown cover of the book, the elegant, golden letters written on it… there was something _very_ familiar about this book.

"This is the storybook." It was more of a statement than a question.

Rumple nodded nonetheless. "In a way it is. It was one of the empty books Henry found in the Sorcerer's Manison. He let me have one of them."

Blue eyes sparkled curiously.

"I actually wanted to give this to you at dinner tonight, but well… since you're already here…"

"What's so special about it?"

He took a deep breath. "I – well, I modified it a little…" he said rather nervously.

Belle raised her eyebrow. Albeit she had accepted that magic would always be part of her husband's life, she hasn't got around to get comfortable around it yet. And he knew very well that she didn't really like it.

"Before you say anything, I had a little chat with Henry about it and he approved of my idea," he said in a way of defending himself.

This statement made her smile. Rumple and Henry luckily had had their fair share of conversations as well, and reestablished their grandpa-grandchild-relationship kind of thing. And Belle was incredibly happy about that. Especially since Henry had also spoken about his worries concerning his magic. So, in a way, Henry approving this – whatever it was he did – indeed calmed her down.

"Open it," Rumple then whispered and chocolate brown eyes looked at her with kindness and love.

Hands trembling, she carefully lifted the cover of the Storybook. However, instead of the table of contents the brunette had expected to find at the first couple of pages, there were only a few words written in very elegant letters. Skimming over it, tears of happiness welled up in her bright blue eyes.

 _.oOo._

… _The Beauty and the Beast …  
the way it should have happened  
. _

_Happy Anniversary, my Love!_

 _.oOo._

He remembered! When she slipped out of bed earlier, she was disappointed by the thought of him having forgotten their wedding anniversary. After all, it had indeed been quite rocky between them in the past, so wouldn't have blamed him if he didn't remember… but he did.

Carefully putting aside the storybook, she slid down the table and kissed her husband on the lips. Gently, he laid down one hand upon her back, pulling her closer.

The sensation that flooded through them was something Belle had missed. To see him, touch him, feel him… to simply be with him, the man she loved so dearly….

By the time the need for air got the better of them, they slowly broke their kiss and stared into each others eyes; Rumple's arms still wrapped around her.

"I re-wrote the book…" Rumple finally whispered, "it's our story… well, or the happy ending we could have had years ago."

Amazed, Belle let her fingers wander over the thick, ancient cover. "How did you…"

Rumple smiled and tightened his arms around his wife, then skipped a couple of pages. "Henry and I… we collected all sort of memories people had about us and we printed it on the computer. This here," he pointed at the neat, cursive handwriting written at the end of some pages, "is my addition to it…"

"Addition?"

He squeezed her fingers. "Well, the storybook tells the truth of our relationship… including all the ups and well, the _many_ downs," again, the little flicker of hope glistened in his eyes, "but I added the parts that my heart wished I would have said out aloud. The things I should have said and done but never did."

"The many possible Happy Endings we could have had?" Belle questioned quietly, still staring at the book in awe.

Rumple nodded. "Yes, a reminder that we should never waste another chance."

He now turned a couple of pages, and indicated with a swift move of his hands that she should take a closer look at it. She did so gladly; letting her blue eyes wander over the carefully created pages…

…

 _Rumpelstiltskin watches the road to his estate from a tower. When he sees Belle, the man-like creature rushes to his spinning wheel before she arrives, pretending to be nonchalant. The moment he takes the straw into his hand, the great doors open to reveal the young brunette in her lovely blue dress; a basket full of straw hanging from her shoulder._

" _Oh, you're back already," Rumplestiltskin says without looking up. "Good… Good thing. I'm, uh… I'm nearly out of straw."_

 _The Beauty only smirks at him. "Hm. Come on – you're happy that I'm back!"_

" _I'm not unhappy."_

 _Satisfied with getting at least that much of an answer out of her master, the brunette crossed the room until she reached the spinning wheel, where she sat down her basket._

" _And, uh, you promised me a story. Rumpelstiltskin."_

 _Brown eyes never left the wheel. "Did I?"_

" _Mmhmm. Tell me about your son."_

 _Rumpelstiltskin stops the wheel, and finally meets her eyes. "I lost him. There's nothing more to tell, really."_

" _And, since then, you've loved no one. And no one has loved you."_

 _Rumpelstiltskin clearly didn't expect her to say something as kind as that and he looks a little irritated for a moment. Soon, however, he shakes his head to get rid of the thoughts and voices in his head._

" _Why did you come back?"_

 _The honesty in her blue eyes almost shocks him. "I wasn't going to. Then… Something changed my mind."_

 _For a moment, she stares at him with those bright blue eyes, then, hesitantly and like in slow motion she leans over and kisses him. It is only for a brief moment; the kiss so featherly light that he almost cannot feel her lips upon his._

 _But still, it is enough to chance something. Something deep within him. Under the sick skin he has used to hide behind for several years. Something so powerful, that it even reaches his blackened heart._

 _He can feel the change within him. The way everything seemed to lighten up, the burdens he had been carrying around vanishing slowly, and with it his power._

 _His face is changing as well, but the many voices of the previous Dark Ones keep whispering in his head, reminding him why he had taken on the magic in the first place. Why he needs the magic. The power. He needs to safe his son. He needs to get back to him. To Bae._

" _What's happening?" he asks, despite already knowing it._

 _The beauty in front of him glowed with happiness at seeing his human side resurface. "Kiss me again – it's working!" she whispered and cupped his face in such a gentle way that it sent goosebumps down his spine. "Any curse can be broken."_

 _Rumpelstiltskin quickly stands up. He cannot believe that this is actually happening. That this kind, courageous, beautiful young princess could ever love a monster like him; and the darkness that came with it._

 _Then again, he is reminded what this really means. He needs the darkness. As much as he cares for – loves – this wonderful women, he cannot sacrifice Bae another time._

 _Fighting an inner battle with his emotions, Rumplestiltskin finally gives in to the darkness and reverts back to looking non-human. It's a painful process, but it's for Bae, so it's worth it._

 _Rumpelstiltskin then turns around to face Belle. She's shocked, surprised, and – this hurts him the most – heartbroken._

 _He keeps on ranting about her intentions, that it was all a trick from the Evil Queen. He knows this isn't true. But he needs her to think it is. He needs her to leave him. Her love… it's too powerful, too tempting._

 _In his anger, he even torms over to the covered mirror and pulls off the sheet and starts yelling into it._

 _But Belle doesn't give up that easily. "This means it's true love! Why won't you believe me?" By now, there are tears in her bright blue eyes, and some of them even roll down her cheeks._

 _The next thing Rumpelstiltskin says is not only breaking the beauty's heart, but also his own._

" _Because no one – no one – could ever, ever love me!"_

…

Belle looked up from the page, tears shimmering in her eyes as well. But not because of the scene itself, no, it was rather the fact that Rumple had apparently written it from his own point of view. He had included what he had been thinking during their conversation. The thoughts about Bae that were usually so concealed deep within him. The fact that he was sharing all these sacred details with her… it was more than any promise of love he could ever give her.

And then she spotted Rumple's own, neat handwriting underneath it. Having already lived through it, Belle knew what was going to happened next, that he would grab and takes her to the dungeons. Throwing her into a cell and locking the door.

But this, it wasn't what really happened. There, written in a dark, crimson red, was what Rumple had wanted to do.

…

 _Don't do that, you idiot. Don't throw her in there. You love her, just admit it! Why are you doing this! Talk to her, she is bright, she will understand! Maybe she will even help you find Bae! Don't waste her love! You will never find someone like her again! This was true loves kiss, and you bloody well know it! If you close the door now, you will never get your happy ending. Never. Never._

…

At the end of this chapter, the tears were now freely running down her cheeks. Belle softly closed the book, put it aside, and hugged her husband lovingly.

"This… this is beautiful, Rumple…"

He heard him releasing the breath he had apparently been holding. Then, he cupped her cheek with his hand and kissed her again.

"I know we talked," Rumple then explained. "But there are some things I – I cannot talk about."

He wiped away her tears. "That's why I made you the book. No more secrets. I want you to know what I always felt deep down in my heart. I want you to know everything. And then, well, maybe we'll get the happy ending we always wanted."

Belle clutched his hand into hers, showing him that she wanted it as much as he did. And soon enough, images of their little Gideon flooded her mind again. The way Rumple had put him to bed earlier, the way he had covered him carefully and gave him the loving little kiss on the forehead…

It was right there and then that Belle realized that they already were on their way to their happy ending.

"One day, we'll get our happy ending, Rumple," she whispered into his ear and clutched the storybook he had made her closely to her chest. "But for now, let's not think about endings. Let's think about the present. And what our hearts tell us do."

This said, she leaned in once again to kiss him softly. "Happy Anniversary, Rumple."


End file.
